


Lay your Head by my Side

by haveyouseenmymind



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bones comforts him with cuddles, Hurt/Comfort, Jim has a bad day, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 19:31:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14385588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haveyouseenmymind/pseuds/haveyouseenmymind
Summary: Leonard finds Jim on his birthday curled up on his bed and ends up comforting him.





	Lay your Head by my Side

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in January for Jim's birthday. The lines in italic at the end are taken from the song Hangman’s Lullaby by Fiddler’s Green, which inspired me for writing this. The title is also taken from it.

When Leonard came home after a long shift, he wanted nothing but a good glass of bourbon and an evening spent in the company of his best friend. Which made him wonder if said friend would be around or not.

“Jim? Are you home?”

He entered their shared dorm room and was greeted by nothing but absolute silence and darkness. Apparently, Jim was out for the night getting rid of the stress the week had caused and letting loose for a while.

Begrudgingly, the brunet had to admit his disappointment, normally Jim asked him to join him in his shenanigans, except for when he wanted to get laid.

So it would be only him and his whiskey while he would mope around without his idiotic best friend that would spend his night who knows where.

But when he told the computer to light up the room, he noticed a strange lump in his bed, although he couldn’t remember leaving his blanket like that behind in the morning.

When he got closer he saw short blond hair sticking out under the tangled mess and he finally recognized Jim hiding under it.

The guy was curled up tight into several blankets and pillows, as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible and immediately warning bells started ringing in Leonard’s head and he switched into doctor mode.

Something was definitely wrong, never before had he seen the normally so confident and loud blond in a state like this.

“Jim, are you ok? Are you hurt? What happened?”

He grabbed for the med kit he kept in their dorm for emergencies like this, but before he could get his tricorder out and start to examine Jim, the blond finally moved for the first time since Leonard had come home.

“I’m ok Bones, just tired. Leave me alone.”

Jim sounded everything but alright, his voice hoarse and there was tenseness in his posture when he tried to get rid of the doctor.

Leonard huffed, as if he would leave the clearly miserable man alone without knowing what was going on.

“Well, first of all you’re in my bed, so no chance getting rid of me. Also, you’re kinda scaring me, so please Jim, just tell me what’s wrong.”

After a few minutes of silence and Leonard stubbornly staying at his bedside, obviously implying that he wouldn’t leave anytime soon, Jim just gave up.

“It’s my birthday, Bones.”

The blond sounded utterly defeated mumbling those words into his nest made of blankets and pillows, but Leonard still heard them and he was no idiot, everyone in Starfleet knew what catastrophe was bound to this day.

He understood why Jim would hide away from the world on a day where everyone would just pity his loss and compare him to George Kirk.

His birthday should belong to Jim alone and Leonard’s heart broke for the quiet man in his bed.

The doctor didn’t really know what to do, this was not something he could get Jim easily out of. So without any better idea he got rid of his scrubs, throwing them into the next corner till he was only dressed in a shirt and his boxer shorts.

He climbed into his bed and laid down next to Jim, untangled the blankets and slipped right under them, taking his friend into his arms and pulling his back close to his chest.

Jim turned around with a watery sigh, buried his fingers tight into Leonard’s shirt and his face into the crook of his neck.

He was shaking like a leave, clinging to the brunet and sniffling into his shirt, while the doctor tried his best to soothe his friend, stroking his back up and down with strong and reassuring hands.

“I can’t do this, Bones. I can’t be who they all want me to be. They look at me and all they see is George Kirk’s son and they expect me to be just as brave and great like they tell me he was. And I didn’t even get to know him myself, so I have no idea what to do and if I’m doing this the right way.”

Gone was the cocky attitude and all the confidence that Jim normally displayed for the people around him. The man in Leonard’s arms was completely vulnerable now and the doctor knew that he wouldn’t have been able to see this side of his friend, if he didn’t trust him wholly. So it was time to show him that this trust was well earned.

“I’m here, Jim. And I don’t want you to be anybody else but you. It’s ok to be afraid, you don’t need to be strong all the time. I’m there for you if you need me and that won’t change, no matter what. So for today just hold onto me and I’ll fight your demons with you.”

The blond drew in a sharp breath and stopped trembling for a second.

“Bones, please don’t leave me.”

“Never, Jim.”

And with those words Jim clung even tighter to Leonard and finally allowed himself to weep freely, while the brunet just held onto him.

Tomorrow would be a new day and Leonard knew, that Jim would find his strength again. But tonight he needed to let go for a while and he would have his best friend by his side for the whole time.

 

_Lay your head by my side._

_Take my hand, do not hide._

_I’ll pretend all your shadows are gone._

_Close your eyes, feel no pain._

_Rest your mind, all in vain._

_I’ll pretend all your nightmares are gone._

 

_So sleep well my true love,_

_With all the stars up above_

_Will be no harm in the night, in the deep of the night._


End file.
